Meghan in Goat Fashion for Palace Garden Party

Hello again! It’s hard to believe we are back so soon after the royal wedding whirlwind.

Today Meghan and Harry, now TRH the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The weather was perfect for the event honoring Prince Charles’s 70th birthday and his charities.

Chris Ship, ITV

Many expected the couple to begin their honeymoon after the wedding, but they elected to postpone it so they could attend this event. From the Prince of Wales’ website:

The event will celebrate The Prince of Wales’ Patronages and Military affiliations as well as others involved in charities supported by The Prince.”

While Prince Charles’s actual birthday isn’t until November, today’s function served as a kickoff to multiple celebrations for the heir to the throne.

Because this is a ‘milestone birthday’ for the Prince of Wales (he is turning 70), there are multiple festivities planned, many of them on a large scale like today’s party. This allows HRH to recognize large groups of people, such as today’s focus on the Prince’s patronages and military affiliations. Other events will be on a smaller and more intimate scale.

Prince Harry delivered remarks at the party.

There were more than 6000 guests at the party; a significant number were first responders who were on the scene of the Manchester bombing a year ago today. In his remarks the Duke spoke of the one-year anniversary.

I would like us to take a moment to remember all those affected by the tragic events at the Manchester Arena a year ago. We are fortunate to have over 250 representatives from the Emergency Services here today.

Meghan and Camilla had a bit of a giggle during Harry’s speech, as a bee circled the Duke, momentarily distracting him.

Harry spoke about his father’s dedication to charitable work.

His enthusiasm & energy are truly infectious; it has certainly inspired William & I to get involved in issues we care passionately about & do whatever we can to make a difference.”

The dress is 100% wool; (a tropical weight wool), with 100% silk décolletage and sleeves. It has a fit and flare silhouette with the contrasting silk-chiffon at the bodice and sleeves, as well as delicate, frayed edging at the cuff and neckline.

Meghan also wore a bracelet we didn’t recognize; we are still working to ID the piece.

This was an excellent look for Meghan, understated and elegant.

A complete look at what the Duchess of Sussex wore today.

===============================

A quick side note about another garden party for any readers who will be in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area on June 10th: Susan K is part of a Royal Wedding Garden Party at Zingerman’s Cornman Farms with Micki Maynard, whom many of you saw live on the WMW Facebook page on Saturday.

Join us for a Royal Wedding Garden Party at Cornman Farms on June 10th! Susan E. Kelley of WhatKateWore.com and WhatMeghanWore.net along with Author and Journalist Micheline Maynard are joining us to host a fête worthy of the Queen. The afternoon begins with cocktails in the garden, followed by a proper Afternoon Tea prepared by Cornman Farms’ British owner and chef Kieron Hales. You will also have the pleasure of re-living the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as our co-hosts review royal fashion, history and recap the wedding of the year.

Fascinators and festive attire is welcome.

Advance Registration Required: $60 Per Person, Includes Afternoon Tea, Bubbly and a Royal Wedding Review

This is going to be a lot of fun, it would be terrific to meet some of you in person! -Susan K

She looked great and appropriate for the event, what more can be asked of her! On a trivial note, does anyone think the hat is borrowed from Kate? It looks identical to the once Kate wore to T the C a year or two ago (with the cream coatdress later accused of being worn to M&Hs wedding) but without the flower, and at a slightly different angle. I was worried Meghan has started stockpiling almost identical pink hats, but maybe she borrowed Kate’s.

The fit of the dress is bothersome. As well as the panty hose that don’t match her skin tone (it’s weird). She looks nice…but in a very underwhelming sort of way. It’s disappointing how boring this whole ensemble is. She’s usually incredibly fashionable. It’s not her usual style. And I hope she doesn’t completely say goodbye to her style just because she’s around all those stiff royals. (Even Kate’s style has become a snooze fest. And I hate saying that because I love Kate)
Meg did an interview years ago talking about how good tailoring is crucial to your wardrobe…so it’s ironic that this dress AND her wedding gown didn’t fit properly. She DID look beautiful on her wedding day (the crown and veil were perfection) but c’mon that dress needed to fit like a glove and it didn’t.

Just loved the look, pared down simple frock that had a bit of an edge. Loved the sheer top and frayed sleeves and gorgeous subdued colour that did not scream look at me. She is elegant, prepared to take some risks and obviously maintain her own style. We are going to be wowed with future outfits. really pushing the envelope and not sliding into royal expectations. Can’t believe some of the nasty and negative comments about her already. If u don’t gave something nice to say, then don’t open your mouth

It’s a shame the dress doesn’t fit her well – same with her wedding dress! Don’t understand the rave reviews for the ill fitting wedding dress. I couldn’t figure out why the hosiery was off, but it’s too pale and washes her out. I wish she’d embrace warmer tones!

I don’t think it’s different because the cuffs are different. Is it not just that it’s a paler colour. The cuffs look like they’ve been doubled back (actually tripled to get the reason edge ). In the more peach version on the web that layering causes a darkening. Whereas on Meghan’s dress as it’s paler colour initially it only makes it more creamy.
Also re the tights, I wondered if it’s that they are a shimmer effect, with the strong sunlight reflecting and making them appear quite pale. Medium dark colours do exist, I use them so I look tanned 🙂

I have just got back home after attending the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. We were quite close to Meghan and I would like to say that her outfit stood out as the epitome of sophistication… beautifully understated amongst the multitude of exotic outfits on display….cool, elegant, subtle and very appropriate.

I don’t know folks. If the tights had been a different shade, I think there would be even more reaction. I think the shade is a good match to the dress. Maybe it’s the sheen reflecting off of them that’s making them seem wrong to some? I thought she looked nice, appropriate for the event and occasion.

I didn’t like this look much, I think the size of the dress was too large, it would have looked nicer had it been tighter. The shape of her bra is a bit strange, just not very round, and her white tights are horrible.

She looked beautiful and happy! But….this is not the Meghan whose look made me interested in following this blog. Tights, slicked back hair, hat and ill fitting dress in a blah color, all she was missing was a collection of fake flowers on the hat and a pair of gloves to look like a princess from the 1950’s. Contrast this with the Roland Mouret dress worn the night before the wedding…sigh. The Duchess of Cambridge wears Goat and I have never liked any of their dresses on her either. I am hoping this is just an aberration and she will go back to her natural style, albeit with hat and tights. The Duchess of Cornwall’s tights weren’t visible, so that’s just a job of finding the right shade. I’m just looking forward to an engagement with her hair worn in loose waves, no tights and simple modern dress or even separates. The 2 looks that I haven’t liked have both been coincidentally designers Catherine wears often, Amanda Wakely and Goat, hopefully she isn’t going to start taking style cues from her new sister in law and will stick to her own instincts and tastes.

I think we’ll see the pantyhose only rarely. She’s acutely aware of context, no doubt. She didn’t wear them when meeting the press about the engagement — it was at Kensington, in her own backyard so to speak, in Diana’s garden. Here she’s in the Queen’s backyard and she’s respecting that by following the Monarch’s preference for stockings. Out of respect she’s probably trying to find the right look for these types of occasions. When she and Harry are the only two royals at a radio station in Brixton, she can be low key professional chic Meghan. She’ll figure it all out I suspect. As a 36 year old American woman she’s probably never even worn stockings and I suspect there are a lot more options for lighter Caucasian skin, a fair amount for dark skin, but not many at all for her skin tone. I don’t know for sure so someone can bring more edification on that subject. Maybe she’ll start a fashion revolution and designers will put out a whole line of medium skin tone stockings! Her best bet would be to go ultra sheer like Kate does, but even “sheer” has a color.

So refreshing to see her hair tidy, without wisps falling into her face. I was so disappointed that her hair was not similarly coiffed on her wedding day. However, I noticed her hair was impeccable in the family wedding photos taken after the ceremony. She’s too lovely to have the distraction of hair falling down and having to push it behind her ears.

Is it possible that she specifically chose a more toned down color to keep the majority of the focus on Prince Charles? She was already going to get a lot of attention just because it is her first royal outing and so soon after the wedding. Maybe she just didn’t want to draw any more attention then she was already going to. I think the waist could have been taken in a little, but other then that, I think it was very well done for her first outing.

I think that’s 100% behind Meghan’s choice of outfit – not drawing focus from Charles or Camilla. She’s so smart and so strategic about all her choices and savvy about what wardrobe can telegraph. That said, I think she could have been muted, but still stayed within her tailored, simple wheelhouse.

I have the biggest girl crush on Meghan and adore her style normally, but my first reaction when I saw this outfit was: “Please no! You don’t have to go full-on royal so soon.” Think she simply disappeared in this ill-fitting, unflattering dress. Hat/hair were pretty IMO, but the dress and hose such a miss.

As a whole look, given the setting and the occasion, I think this was a great outing for Meghan. The more I look at the dress close-up, the more I don’t love it. I don’t love the neckline and the frayed sleeves. But I do like the lovely blush color and I think it’s a great fit for a garden party.
I think the accessories really make this outfit. I love the hat, especially the angle at which it sits on her head. The earrings are so dainty! This engagement really makes me excited for the future!

Meghan looks marvelous! She looks every inch a Duchess, and I appreciate the softly frayed edges and unadorned hat. It keeps her looking like herself. Give her time…her hats may take on a giant bloom or two! But for now, she looks like a newlywed princess in that soft blush hue.

Today’s dress reminded me of the wedding dress. If it had been brought in at the waist a tiny bit, the fit would have been much more flattering. Totally agree with the stockings, I’m sure someone could have found a pair to match her skin tone. I’m sure that look won’t happen again. Loved the hat and the shoes . She still looked beautiful, just a couple of tiny details, not a Katy Perry fan but she hit the nail on the head, “one more fitting”.

Don’t love the dress, but love the whole look and color palette. Love the hat and shoes, especially. Her makeup looked great as well. Blush is a great color and is one of my favorite colors on Kate too! So flattering!

I think this outfit is perfect! The fit of the dress is more modern and fashionable. And the color of the stockings blends beautifully with the dress. For her first official event, the restraint in her ensemble is so elegant and regal. And it shows she can still dress in a manner that’s true to herself and distinctive from the other ladies in the BRF while still being perfectly proper and appropriate.

Lovely subdued colors for her first Garden Party, and I too love that she’s respecting decorum with more conservative dress here. Love the gauzy top part and sleeves. Lovely shoes and hat style, but the hat seems to need some decoration or a band or something because it’s too plain. My quibble is with the fit, as others have mentioned. I’m wondering if part of it is posture — perhaps if she stood up straighter in the shoulders it would fall better? She needs a better bra — a fuller, more structured strapless bra that is held higher is the only way to go here. But also just the cut/fit is off — it’s bunching. I’m surprised I’m one of the few who likes the raw edges. But overall she’s chosen a lovely demure palette and silhouette, and her newlywed glow is a joy.

I think the dress is ugly and ill fitting. It somehow adds 10 pounds to her slim figure and the color does nothing for her. I hope she doesn’t give up her cool style in an effort to fit into the royal way of life.

I like this dress on Meghan. I do think it is a bit too long in the bodice. I like the more edgy trim, it is very Meghan. I like the color. I do think like others… that the hosiery could have been a bit darker. I don’t think the sleeves could have been any tighter/fitted or she would not have been able to bend her arm with out it ripping. Over all I think this probably ticks a lot of the requirement boxes yet still gives the edgy Meghan look that we have seen in the recent past. Unlike most of the comments here so far…I really like this look. I think it is very classy.

The hat and hair at e a huge win! So glad to see she can carry off a wide brimmed hat (IMO Camilla is the “queen” – sorry couldn’t resist- of hats).
The overall look is quite nice, demure and sophisticated.
The dress fit, not so great. In one picture the hem isn’t well done.
However, the happiness her and Harry exude make up for any flaws in the outfit.

I can hardly believe Meghan could adopt such a wholly royal outfit so early on, but I think it looks wonderful. I’m just delighted she still remembers how to get a smooth updo when needed as she’s done them before in her acting past. This outfit is so polished it reminds of Kate’s lace McQueen shift first worn at St Paul’s.

At the same time I love all the quirks that make this outfit still very much Meghan’s own; the frayed edges at neck and cuffs, the contrast sheer panel right across the bodice, the asymmetric earrings and pvc inserts in her shoes. And the gorgeous clutch repeat.

I also think the colour of this dress is a departure as we definitely have pink here and not black or beige. I love the monochrome being continued in the tights showing, perhaps cheekily, that Meghan can do pale princess with the best of them. The hat is an absolute dream being so plain it’s almost stark, not a flower, net or feather in sight, just classic and unadorned. The whole outfit is a triumph.

In terms of her having a “wholly royal outfit so early on” I half imagine she sees these outings as different roles she has to play and is more than willing to play them. Not in a fake way, just an understanding way. As an American, I can half imagine her saying to a close girlfriend, “Tomorrow I have to play Duchess.” I think she understands all that’s needed in different contexts and is happy to contribute to the differing roles and needs out of respect. I think she’s having fun with it and putting her own mark on it as she does it. Again, none of that is fake or superficial — she truly loves and respects her new family and respects their work. She just seems to be able to adapt to different situations appropriately but without ever losing her identity.

At first look today I was so impressed that Meghan chose a classic, well put together outfit for today. But when I look closer I see the same issues with the dress as with her wedding dress. The tailoring is terrible. The sleeves, the neckline, the bodice, the whole thing just ‘wears her’. Much like her wedding dress.. I wonder if she has lost weight? The pantyhose must be a difficult thing to get right. She needs to ask Kate where she gets hers! Or perhaps with the darker skin tone on the legs, maybe that presents more of a challenge? Perhaps some one else can chime in here?

I wonder too, if in all the stress leading up to the wedding that Meghan didn’t drop a few pounds. Although looking at her pre-wedding clothes nothing much was form fitted, it all seems to be just a bit loose, that just might be her preference.

This one was a major miss in my opinion. The earrings, hat, and shoes were great, but in my opinion that clutch is frumpy and cheap looking.

The hose are the completely wrong color for her. They are reflecting the light in a very unflattering way. I remember when Kate started doing a lot of appearances, her hose had this sheen too. I wonder if she now has them custom made? But I think this hose issue (and the great Kate wedding coat debate) demonstrate that clothing can photograph very differently than it looks in person. The strong sunlight can wash colors out or reflect things that should not be shiny. This may just be a growing pain for Meghan as she gets used to how things read in different lights and in photographs.

I do not think this dress fits her at all. I agree with the other commenters who noted that it looks poor quality and is unflattering on a more straight up and down figure vs an hourglass. The color looks washed out, the unfinished seams look cheap, the strapless bra is sitting low, the waist is riding up (I am assuming partly as it gets caught on the hose as the dress may not be lined?), and it looks to have been poorly hemmed. Not so much in these, but in other pics (Daily Mail) the back looks half an inch shorter than the front which makes it look poor quality.

I like meghans style but is everything she wears too big. Seriously? Maybe she lost weight from stress? For that much money everything should be tailored. Dress is nice, appropriate but too big and looks a bit sloppy

Yes to everyone with remarks similar to this one – I’m shocked at how many see this dress as perfection – the bodice is overlarge, as are the sleeves, and the rippling of the sheer fabric through the sleeves is just droopy and disappointing. How this can be custom made is beyond me, custom-made clothing shouldn’t require alterations before wearing. Lest anyone think I’m “anti-Meghan”, I love the hat unembellished, the earrings are so pretty, hair is immaculate and gorgeous, makeup simple and fresh. But no, that dress does not fit properly, and I’m beginning to feel skeptical of the analyses on this site, unfortunately including the hard-working Susans – at least with Kate, people separate their critical assessment of her clothes from their personal feelings of her as a person. With Meghan, it’s as if critical assessment of her appearance is synonymous with not liking her.

Well does she look absolutely the part and just beautiful! Those earrings are gorgeous, and I love her hat and hair. Like others here, I’m not crazy about the dress. I don’t care for the unfinished edges, and the color is too nude for my taste. If the dress had been the color of her clutch, I would have liked it better. I appreciate Jessica’s comments about needing a flower on her hat or a broach. I do think one of those accessories would have greatly improved the overall look. How exciting for the royal family engagements to really get underway! Here we go… 🙂

A brooch or floral (are we talking corsage?) on the dress would have pulled either of those fabrics out of shape and detracted from the simplicity. That said, a brooch on the purse or hat could have been interesting.

Flawless. Style, color, fit, everything. I particularly like that she kept her jewelry to a minimum with just her wedding rings, small earrings and delicate bracelet. No need for multi rings for this outfit (Though I love the look). Hair and makeup were impeccable and the hat is so flattering and delicately wovan. Almost silky looking. Loved this look.

This is a great debut look for the Duchess of Sussex. It’s classy, reserved, and yet not too uptight and still true to Meghan’s style. I’m glad to see her keep rocking her many rings even with those two all-important ones on her left hand! 😉 And the Philip Treacy hat was an excellent choice – a wonderful step up from the berets we’ve seen so far. The angle is really flattering to her face. My only quibble with the outfit is the colour of the tights, but that’s a learning curve and I’m guessing Meghan is still finding what works after never having to worry about them before.

All in all a good look. Meghan looks like she fits right in, yet still manages to shine!

I don’t think the closeup photo of the other rings was from this event. You can see in some of the full-length photos that she is only wearing her wedding rings. And I, for one, love the shade of her hosiery – it was certainly meant to complement the pale color of the dress, I’m sure; not to match her own skin tone. (And I think that skin-tone hosiery cheapens anyone’s look, esp. when their skin tone is slightly darker. )

You’re right about the rings, I skimmed this post after seeing highlights of the event on TV and I must have looked at the wrong photos when I made that observation. Upon closer reading it’s clear to me that Meghan tried to match her tights to the mesh sleeves, but to me that seems silly and comes across as a bit costumey. Just my personal taste.

Surprised about so many of the comments about fit as compared to the model. The dress may wrinkle a bit oddly in the bodice, but I think the sleeves look much better loose and “genie-like”. It looks too tight on the model.

Thanks you Susan for a speedy posting, complete with plenty of photos and videos. Given that Meghan has had a very busy few days, it is wonderful that she was able to put this outfit together in advance. I think she looks lovely! For this occasion she has made an excellent effort to adhere to the dress code followed by other members of the British Royal Family. She is wearing a real hat, has on pantyhose, her hair is neat, her dress is not baggy, her clutch and shoes are quite traditional and she is wearing a colour (even though the colour is subdued.) I really feel that she is making a noble effort and today’s look shows that she does care about protocol and the occasion.

I really appreciate the hose and the not messy bun. Now if we can only get her to hire a good seamstress that could have nipped this in at the waist and fitted the sleeves better, it would have been a perfect outfit for an afternoon garden party at Buckingham Palace.

I generally love her style, but this dress was wrong on a few levels. The fit was all wrong, much too big, and the length was not flattering – it should have been either two inches shorter or three longer. Like other people have mentioned, the frayed edges were unappealing too. And yes, I completely agree about the hosiery. But… She will find her “royal” style. She’ll find what she likes, what suits her and (presumably) what fits.

Nice to see TRH so soon after the wedding. Wonder, whether the honeymoon is scheduled in the nearest future and whether they will be present at Trooping the Colour.
Not sure I like the fringy edges of the dress or the whole dress at all, but that’s a matter of taste. Two things make me feel strange: the tights (their color is obviously slightly light for Meghan) and the fringy details of the dress. On Meghan they look almost the same color as the whole dress, but on shop photos they are significantly brighter and appear to be peachy pink. Or is that just me?
Hat and shoes are very stylish, love them.

Hi Darcy – you are correct with regards to the difference in the cuffs of the dress. The stock image of the dress show the cuff and collar edge a darker shade of blush. Meghan’s dress was slightly altered with a bit of fringe detail at the cuffs. It may also be that Goat will update with new images if they have a more recent version of the dress to release – this will often happen as well from brands/designers. We will be proving more updates as we look into these very fine/small details. 😉 – Susan C

I don’t think the fit of the dress on the model in the photos should be compared to the fit on Meghan. I’d bet it was photoshopped, given the smooth, almost tight, fit. I doubt anyone could get her hands and arms through those sleeves, let alone move naturally throughout an event, without tearing the fragile silk.
I love the edginess of the fringe detail; way more interesting than a contrast band. More Meghan’s style.

Your point about fit is well taken. For models being photographed there are a lot of cheats (pinning the actual dress or photoshopping) to make the dress look perfect. Real people have to be able to put a dress on and move in it (including sitting and bending). Comparing any person to a fashion photo does a disservice to the person.

Disappointing dress specifically, but that’s as harsh as I can get, because I still actually *like* the dress. I think she looks absolutely marvelous! I LOVE her earrings. They remind me of Indian jalebi!
I think she looks so chic and sophisticated. To be honest, though, I’d rather see her wear something akin to the floral dress worn by the attendee in that first photo. Of course, if she and Kate wore what I wanted them to, I”d just be stuck in a rut of (admittedly still) beautiful dresses, but would never have an opportunity to expand my horizons!
Huzzah, Duchess of Sussex! And Huzzah Duke of Sussex for that touching speech. I absolutely love the man he has become since meeting Meghan. There is a marked change. He joked that he had to up his game when he met her, but he has absolutely followed through. Service suits him. Buckling down with an enthusiastic partner has done him such good, and I cannot wait to see their family grow.
Thank you so much for curating these fashions, and for educating me on not only the wonderful charities this couple promotes but for teaching me about the opportunities for me get involved. I love the “royal community” that I find here! You all are so delightful!!

I am a big fan of Meghan’s minimalist style and I do think it works for her, but I feel like I would have liked to see a *little* something on this hat for ornament–just one abstract, modern flower form or something. Without it–in the context of a British garden party–it just looks unfinished, like a blank hat form. To me, anyway. But I do love the angle and the sweep of the hat, and her hair looks fantastic.

The earrings are beautiful, and I loved that clutch the first time I saw it; happy to see a repeat. Don’t those two look happy and adorable.

That’s such a good point! I am not a massive fan of the dress (lovely, but a bit too unfinished for my taste), and I think a brooch, or even some fresh blooms on her breast would have been so welcome. I LOVE her hat and her hair!!

I wish the color was something brighter/bolder for her. She just blends in with everything. Too match-y to her skin tone, etc. Just kinda blah. But I do love her tidy bun! (Not to say I hate her messy bun).

I’m not sure I like this dress? The fit looks off on Meghan compared to the model in the pictures, it looks too big on her, especially in the sleeves. I love her side bun and her hat though, those are awesome (and while I love her messy bun it’s nice to see her change it up a bit).
I also don’t think she chose the right shade of hosiery for herself. I kept wondering why her legs looked weird to me and then I realized she was wearing pantyhose. You can’t really tell in the pictures posted here but I think maybe Meghan isn’t used to wearing pantyhose and will need to figure out which shade works best with her skin tone.
It was nice to see Harry and Meghan go to this in honor of Prince Charles. Given that he hosted their nighttime reception, it was a nice gesture.

Interesting. I think I DO like the dress but I couldn’t figure out why it felt slightly “off” to me. Upon reading your comment I realized it was 100% the fit. The sleeves are not form-fitting as they appear on the model and there appears to be an excess of the sheer fabric across her shoulder/collarbone area. I think if the fit was spot-on, I’d have zero hesitation here. I am also thrilled to see a structured bun too!

I an spamming everyone, but I’m totally with you on the dress. I don’t mind the color or general shape, but loathe the unfinished cuffs, and the fit is pretty abysmal. It doesn’t look like a quality garment.

I didn’t notice this! I prefer the dress on the model though overall I don’t think I’m a fan of this dress, it’s a bit blah and doesn’t do much for Meghan.
I did some more reading on hosiery on some other forums and a few women of color mentioned getting hose to match their skin tone was not an easy feat, something I never really thought about! If you think about it, hose does seem to be catered to, well… white people! I wonder if Meghan is struggling to find hose that matches her skin tone because of this? Fashion isn’t always inclusive unfortunately.

I agree with the unfinished cuffs/frayed/fringe detail, don’t care for it. I’ve seen it a lot lately, is it a new fashion trend? Saw it yesterday on the Queen’s pink suit at the Chelsea Flower Show and Camilla’s pink suit at the wedding on May 19…pink is great but stop the frayed detail!

Yes, the hose match the outfit/dress and pull the entire ensemble together. In person, I’ve read, the the dress and entire outfit was more of that blush pink, slightly darker and beautiful in person. The photos we are seeing coupled with the sunlight are causing the dress to appear that lighter more washed out color. For example, if you take a photo with your phone indoors, then go outside in the sun and take the same photo – the image will be different. I run into these issues when I want to show the color of an actual item I own of Meghan or Kate’s to share with others. It’s so hard to get the actual color to show the same in the photo as we are seeing it with our own eyes. If that makes sense. – SAC